THE CONTENDER

Boxer Lovlina Borgohain is young and fearless. And with every bout, she proves that she's in it to win it

- TARUKA SRIVASTAVA

Photographs DHRUVIN/A LITTLE FLY Fashion Director PASHAM ALWANI Art NIKITA RAO Words TARUKA SRIVASTAVA

When Indian boxing pioneers and Olympic medallists Vijender Singh and Mary Kom were duking it out with their respective opponents at the peak of their careers, little did they know that their exploits in the ring were inspiring a generation of future pugilists, including a young Lovlina Borgohain, who would walk for miles to catch their bouts on television at the local boxing studio, where she would train, in Assam.

Growing up in the remote village of Baromukhia in Assam’s Golaghat district, Borgohain’s only privileges were her talent and ambition.

Coming from humble beginnings, she had her sights trained on becoming a professional boxer and providing for her family. “I grew up watching my parents struggle, and that instilled in me the ambition of doing something great in life,” she says, adding, “I started my boxing journey at the Sports Authority of India centre in Guwahati. It wasn’t easy initially because my parents didn’t have enough money to support my playing expenses. I never asked them if I needed training gear. I always tried to manage on my own. I stayed in a hostel and didn’t even have a proper training kit, gloves, or shoes. But then I started winning tournaments and, from the prize money, would buy things of necessity. Right from the very first day, I worked hard as my ambition was to play in the Olympics.”